Fire Torches Area Around The Dish, Massive Antenna In Stanford Foothills

PALO ALTO (KPIX 5) -- A smoky fire burned Friday at the site of The Dish, the massive radio antenna in Stanford foothills.

The area around the Stanford Dish features a popular hiking trail. The fire, which burned a handful of acres, could be seen for miles, with thick, black smoke billowing from the dry grass.

Local fire crews were joined by crews from Cal Fire, with at least one chopper used to deploy the firefighters.

No structures were burned and no injuries were reported.

Built in 1961, the Peninsula landmark was used to communicate for decades with satellites and spacecraft moving toward the outer reaches of the solar system. It is currently used for research and academic purposes.